Page 88 of Madness of Her Mages

“Oh, we will break it.” Shadows darkened Drae’s eyes and his mouth flattened, taut with tension. “Even if I have to slit his throat myself.”

AFTER BREAKFAST, Ireceived a summons to meet Malvolia at the beach this morning, tasked with the responsibility of expelling demons from her first and second regiments. Drae had told me the two regiments made up the bulk of the Delfian army, nine thousand soldiers, and by all accounts the largest armyin the Fae lands. These two regiments were the ‘grunts’ who would be fighting Malvolia’s war. They were the barrier between Malvolia’s personal army of a thousand soldiers and Malvolia, and subsequently, me. My mates insisted they accompany me to the courtyard, for which I was grateful. I didn’t want to face the army without them.

The servants took longer than usual to dress me, but the dress they had me wear was surprisingly strange. It only went to my knees, but at least this dress seemed more practical, made of a cream-colored leather material with a thick belt and leather stockings beneath. I sure hoped I wasn’t going riding on Malvolia’s horse today. After Ember and Aurora finished dressing, I expected them to twist and turn in front of the mirror, admiring the pretty lace and frilly skirts, but they appeared too subdued as they sat on a bench. Perhaps the somnus hadn’t worn off.

“Blaze has already gone down to tell Malvolia we’re running late,” Drae called, his voice laced with tension, as he poked his head inside the dressing room. “Are we almost ready?” He gave me an appreciative look and a low whistle as he looked at my shapely legs in the leather tights.You look good enough to eat,he projected to me.

Don’t give Malvolia’s horse any ideas,I answered back through thought before saying aloud, “We’re ready.” I went to the girls and held out my hands. “Let’s go to the nursery.”

They frowned while taking my hands, and an overwhelming sense of guilt rolled through me at having to leave them again.

We walked out of the wardrobe to my awaiting mates.

I blushed when Nikkos and Drae both whistled while admiring my attire.

Aurora tugged on my skirt. “Auntie, do we have to go with Miss Grethel?”

I knelt beside my nieces, grasping their hands.

“Yes, darlings,” I said as I wiped a bit of tart crumbs from Aurora’s pouty lip. “I have to help Malvolia expel more demons today. It’s not safe for children.”

“But we don’t like Miss Grethel.” When Aurora looked at me with big, glossy eyes, I felt a tug on my heartstrings that compelled me to reconsider leaving them.

“She broke Bethamy Four,” Ember added.

I stroked Ember’s soft cheek. “Another Bethamy?”

The girls gasped and stiffened when a woman cleared her throat behind me.

“I dropped her, and Ember was inconsolable.”

I stood and spun around, glaring at Miss Grethel as she stood at the threshold to our bedchamber. She wore the same gray dress and smock, her plump cheeks splotchy with color. What was she doing here? Was she so impatient she couldn’t wait for us to bring the girls to her? Or was this standard protocol for nursemaids?

Alarm bells went off in my head when the girls hid themselves in the folds of my cloak. I knew they were particular, but they shouldn’t have been this afraid of their nursemaid.

Miss Grethel clasped her hands in front of her, a serene smile on her face as she approached us. “She has a special affection for her dolls.”

Nikkos patted Ember’s head. “The nursery has several other dolls.”

“Listen, girls.” Drae knelt beside them, his voice stern. “Do you understand what will happen if your auntie doesn’t help Aunt Malvolia find and destroy the demons?”

The girls shook their heads.

“These demons will try to harm us like the bad demons who took Ember,” he continued, his tone dripping with guilt. “Do you want that to happen?”

Again, they shook their heads like puppets.

I didn’t like their responses. They never complained about having to go with Mrs. Euphemia, but now they were acting like frightened mice. This wasn’t like them.

Aurora heaved a dramatic groan while crossing her arms. “We’re tired of learning letters.”

My gaze shot to Miss Grethel as she stood there with a serene expression on her face. “You’re teaching them to read?”

She flashed a subdued smile. “I am.”

I turned to my nieces. “Girls, don’t you want to learn how to read?”

Ember shook her head, burying her face in my cloak again.

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